Round 14: Taipans v Bullets

CQUNIVERSITY CAIRNS TAIPANS V BRISBANE BULLETS
(Nissan Arena, 6:30pm)
Watch live on ESPN via Kayo Sports or Foxtel
Watch together at the Reef Hotel Casino (official away game venue)
Next home game: Sunday 8 January, 3:00pm TICKETS

LAST MEETING

Cairns hosted Brisbane on December 14 for Indigenous Round, as the visiting team entered the game with their third head coach in three weeks.

However, it was a slow start for the Taipans, as they found themselves down 3-11 early, and it took them the second and third quarter to get going, setting up the 85-76 win.

Including the 4-0 sweep in the 2021-22 season, Cairns have won the last six straight games against Brisbane.

LINE-UP

With the Taipans already missing their MVP Keanu Pinder (ankle) another giant piece of the puzzle will be missing tonight, with Head Coach Adam Forde (illness) unable to attend.

As a result, Cairns stalwart Kerry Williams will make his NBL debut as Head Coach for the club alongside assistant Sam Gruggen.

LOOK FOR

Kuol, with a BUL-LET. Kuol always plays well against the Queensland counterparts, with his eight threes at Nissan Arena last year hard to forget. 

More recently, he posted his season-high 23 points to go with four rebounds and three assists against them. 

LATEST WORDS

"Losing KP is tough, he’s our MVP-candidate guy. But the guys, we understand what we need to do and what guys need to step up. You have guys like JD and Ben coming in playing big minutes, Mirko also stepping up, hitting that four-point play [against Illawarra] and giving us energy there. Everyone’s stepping up and the energy with the group is really high and we’re going to be prepared for Brisbane," - Sam Waardenburg on Keanu Pinder

"Anytime you get to play someone like that, that’s been in the NBA for several years, that’s always exciting. I love challenges like that. Coming from college in the ACC, playing someone that’s probably going to be a first round pick - you love those match-up. You play for those. That’s why you play the game. I’d love for him to play and I’d love to have that match-up," - Waardenburg on potential match-up with Aron Baynes